Black Sticks Women set for World League Final

The three debutantes named in the Black Sticks Women’s team for the recent Oceania Cup are packing their bags again – however this time, they will be taking on the top eight teams at the World League Final in Tucuman, Argentina.

Brooke Neal (Midlands), Elizabeth Thompson (Auckland) and Sophie Cocks (Canterbury) are in head coach Mark Hager’s line-up alongside some more experienced names.

Captain Kayla Sharland, Krystal Forgesson, Gemma Flynn and Anita Punt join the newbies with Sharland likely to reach 200 international test caps and Flynn set to play her 150th game while away.

Hager notes there is no easy pool in this tournament - the Black Sticks will face current World Champions Argentina as well as Australia and China in Pool B, while Pool A includes reigning Olympic champions the Netherlands alongside England, Germany and Korea.

“It will be a hard challenge – we will face Argentina at home, Australia is playing well at the moment and China is a bit unknown, but it is another opportunity to play against the top eight teams ahead of a big year of hockey in 2014,” says Hager.

In the first six months of next year, the Black Sticks Women will play a Four Nations in the United States in February, a Six Nations Tournament in Hawke’s Bay in April, the World Cup in Holland in June and then the Commonwealth Games in July.

Ranking points are up for grabs at Tucuman, with the points being recalculated following the tournament to determine the pools for the 2014 World Cup. “There is nothing in it when it comes to the rankings - it is so tight between the top countries."

Tucuman is nine hours north of Rosario and can get up to 40 degrees Celsius at this time of year, which is why the Black Sticks are arriving a week early and playing three games against Chile in Santiago before heading North.

“We have only had the four Oceania Cup games since World League Three in June so playing Chile is another good chance for this group to play together,” says Hager.

Emily Naylor, Stacey Michelsen, Katie Glynn and Aniwaka Roberts are not available for the World League Final due to injury or personal reasons.

Black Sticks Women's Team

Argentina Hockey World League Final

Player Name	Position	Age	Caps
Kayla SHARLAND	Midfielder	28	192
Krystal FORGESSON	Midfielder	31	187
Olivia MERRY	Striker	21	18
Petrea WEBSTER	Striker	25	38
Sally RUTHERFORD	Goalkeeper	32	45
Brooke NEAL	Defender	21	4
Amelia GIBSON	Goaleeper	22	18
Danielle JONES	Defender	22	17
Sam CHARLTON	Defender	21	64
Julia KING	Midfielder	20	52
Liz THOMPSON	Defender	18	3
Sophie COCKS	Striker	19	4
Bridget BLACKWOOD	Defender	22	40
Rhiannon DENNISON	Defender	20	18
Gemma FLYNN	Striker	23	145
Rose KEDDELL	Defender	19	27
Pippa HAYWARD	Defender	23	24
Anita PUNT	Midfielder	26	132